EDGE16 Josaiah Stewart Michigan, 4SR

BACKGROUND: Josaiah (jo-SY-uh) Stewart, who has 18 siblings in a blended family, was born and raised in the Bronx, N.Y., with his mother (Carmen Diaz) and father (Andre Stewart). He grew up playing basketball and tag outside, running around the neighborhood, but never signed up for an organized sport. Basketball was his go-to sport throughout childhood, and he “never really picked up a football” until he got to high school. At age 10, Stewart relocated to the Boston area. Stewart enrolled at Everett High (north of Boston) and joined a program that had three other future NFL players on its roster: safety Lewis Cine, tight end Isaiah Likely and cornerback Mike Sainristil. As a freshman, he decided to join the football team, despite having no prior experience in the sport (Stewart: “All my friends were playing, and I just wanted to hop in and play with my guys.”). He started out as a part-time contributor on the freshman team in 2017, but he physically matured, learned the fundamentals and became the program’s hardest worker, according to the coaches. Stewart started on varsity as a junior and played both ways as a defensive end and tight end. He helped Everett to a 9-3 record and the 2019 league title, finishing with 30 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, seven sacks and two blocks (one punt, one extra point attempt). Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Stewart’s senior season was pushed from fall of 2020 to an abbreviated schedule in spring of 2021. Stewart posted 13 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in just three games. A three-star recruit, Stewart was the 43rd-ranked edge defender in the 2021 recruiting class and the No. 5 recruit in Massachusetts. After his sophomore season, he received his first Division I offer from FCS Howard (Dec. 2018). The following spring, Stewart received his first major offers from Boston College and Syracuse. He committed to Steve Addazio and Boston College during his junior season, but Addazio and his staff were fired a few weeks later. After Jeff Hafley was hired, both parties agreed to part ways — Boston College pulled its offer and Stewart reopened his recruitment. Several of Stewart’s more notable suitors had moved on by then and recruiting was in a strange spot because of the pandemic, which limited his options. Coastal Carolina (where Likely was playing) entered the mix during the summer of 2020, and Stewart committed in August. He was the top-ranked recruit in former head coach Jamey Chadwell’s 2021 class. After two highly productive seasons with the Chanticleers, Stewart entered the transfer portal in December 2022, a few days after Chadwell left for the Liberty job. He received offers from several notable programs and narrowed his final choice to LSU, Michigan and USC. Stewart, who was recruited hard by Sainristil, committed to the Wolverines and joined the team in January 2023. He accepted his invitation to the Senior Bowl.

YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF PD INT NOTES
2021: (13/6) 43 15.5 12.5 3 0 0 Coastal Carolina; Freshman All-American; First Team All-SBC; led SBC in sacks; enrolled June 2021
2022: (12/11) 36 10.0 3.5 1 1 0 Coastal Carolina; Second Team All-SBC; missed bowl game (transfer)
2023: (15/0) 38 8.5 5.5 0 2 0 Michigan; Honorable Mention All-Big Ten; enrolled January 2023
2024: (11/11) 33 13.0 8.5 2 0 0 Michigan; Second Team All-Big Ten; led team in FFs, sacks and TFL; missed two games (injury); team
captain
Total: (51/28) 150 47.0 30.0 6 3 0

HT WT HAND ARM WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP NOTES

STRENGTHS:
● Explosive out of the blocks and attacks with natural leverage
● Lethal speed-to-power move, creating incredible force with the acceleration from his first two steps
● Purposeful hands as a pass rusher, mixing in different varieties of slap-rip, club-rip and flash-chop
● Uses body dip to angle and run the hoop to capture the corner
● Able to spin off contact when blocked high-side
● Better play strength in run game than expected from a player his size
● Physical at the point of attack to battle for positioning and remain a factor on edge runs
● Relentless chase speed from the backside, with closing burst to finish
● Stewart “only knows one speed” and “plays with a chip,” according to Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito
● Upgraded to team captain midway through the 2024 season because of the way he sparked the defense (Stewart: “I came out of my shell and became more of a vocal leader.”)
● Highly productive — only FBS prospect in this draft class with 30 career sacks on his resume

WEAKNESSES:
● Light frame with below-average height and limited room to get bigger
● Strong initial strike, but he can be slowed once powerful blockers get their hands on him
● Hyper-charged in his rush — that momentum will take him past the pocket at times
● Smart contain player, but NFL size will have better luck covering him up in the run game
● High-speed pursuit will leave him out of control as a secure tackler (had a career low in tackles and a career high in missed tackles in 2024)
● Occasionally peeled off or dropped into the flat, but he’s not an experienced coverage player

SUMMARY: A one-year starter at Michigan, Stewart lined up as a wide edge rusher (two- and three-point stance) in defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s four-man front. Despite being late to the game (didn’t play varsity football until his junior year), he was an immediate difference-maker manning the “Bandit” position at Coastal Carolina and led the Sun Belt in sacks as a freshman. He transferred to Ann Arbor for his final two seasons and led the team in sacks, tackles for loss and forced fumbles as a senior. An explosive pass rusher, Stewart has the arc acceleration and flexibility to win high-side, although his speed-to-power and bull rushes are uniquely effective when he is given a little runway. He plays bigger than he looks in the run game, although he will struggle to disengage when blockers are able to latch on to him. Overall, Stewart’s size won’t be for everyone, but he is an energetic athlete whose combination of twitchy get-off, crafty hands and relentless finish can make him a pass-rush factor from day one. His talent suggests he can be more than a pass-rush specialist in the NFL.

GRADE: 3rd round (No. 80 overall)

Hram wrote:

Out of 100+ draft-eligible D1 tight ends in my database, Terrance Ferguson was:

– 1st in YAC per reception (9.0)
– 5th in receiving yards (591)
– T-5th 40 yard dash time (4.63, fastest at the combine

Yeah PFF has good numbers on him too.

PFF Fantasy & Betting@PFF_Fantasy
Oregon TE Terrance Ferguson at the 2025 Combine:

🦆40 Yard Dash: 4.63 (1st)
🦆Vertical Jump: 39’00” (1st)
🦆10-Yard Split: 1.55 (T-1st)

Rams Bros.@RamsBrothers
#Michigan EDGE Josiah Stewart…

• 6’1, 249lbs, 22 years old
• Just played in Wink Martindale’s four-man front at Michigan
• Has unique speed-to-power and bull rush ability
• Rams need a rotation of pass rushers with Hoecht gone and Jackson an unknown
• Rams won’t be able to pay entire young front all at once
• Better play strength in run game than expected from a player his size
• Upgraded to team captain midway through 2024 season because of the way he sparked defense

Stu Jackson@StuJRams
Sean McVay on TE Terrance Ferguson: “He reminds me a lot of Chris Cooley,” and also when he evaluated Travis Kelce coming out of Cincinnati.

But “certainly not saying he’s those guys yet.”

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
I could be wrong but Stewart may be projected as the the Hoecht/Cheetah package/five man rush player. Has a legit motor and personality (as described by our Dane Brugler) fits really well with this young group.

I’m obviously not comparing him TO Hoecht, just saying they needed a juice player in that role

Jeremy Fowler@JFowlerESPN
Matthew Stafford with a fun vertical option in new #Rams TE Terrance Ferguson, who tested the best among tight ends in the vertical and the 40 in Indy.

Sarah Barshop@sarahbarshop
This is the earliest the Rams have taken a TE since drafting Gerald Everett 44th overall in 2017
.

Does this look familiar, Rams fans?pic.twitter.com/PvAZXIZSUx

— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) April 26, 2025

Rams Bros.@RamsBrothers
#Oregon TE Terrance Ferguson at #46…

• 6’5, 247lbs, 22 years old
• 4.63 40-yard dash
• Physical route runner, excellent after the catch, run blocker who will get his face dirty
• Red zone weapon for Matthew Stafford
• 42.% of his 2024 snaps in the slot and 40.5% inline/wing
• 25.6% of his catches in 2024 resulted in 20 yards or more
• 72.1% of catches in 2024 resulted in first down or touchdown

‪Jourdan Rodrigue‬ ‪@jourdanrodrigue.bsky.social‬
Rams really wanted to go skill player with their first pick, and Sean McVay has been jonesing for a TE. He’ll join a room with Tyler Higbee (last year of his contract), Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen.

Will Stein does a lot of creative things with that offense and Terrance Ferguson was both versatile and dependable there (including as a blocker). Rams were very, very high on him.

from https://www.nfl.com/prospects/terrance-ferguson/32004645-5233-3882-9ca7-fa63e767baea

Prospect Info
Oregon
Senior
Height
6’ 5’’
Weight
247 lbs
Arm
32 7/8’’
Hand
9 1/4’’

By Lance Zierlein

Overview

Productive pass catcher with good size but an alarming lack of tenacity and fire when it’s time to run block. Ferguson saw adequate short-catch volume but was rarely asked to venture beyond the front yard as a route-runner. He has not shown enough technique or toughness to neutralize an NFL edge defender at the point of attack, but he can hit targets as a move blocker. Ferguson could improve in that area with additional coaching, but he might need to find the grit needed to compete against NFL tough guys as a run blocker to realize his full potential.

Strengths

Racked up solid catch production over the last three seasons.
Displays build-up speed when asked to run seam routes.
Shows ball skills and body control.
Gets every inch of reach available when high-pointing a catch.
Capable of banging through an uncommitted tackler.
Potential for improvement as a run blocker.
Adequate run-block strain when he’s on level footing.

Weaknesses

Leans way out past his toes as a run blocker.
Plays with some passivity when fitting up blocks.
Ambles into routes with heavy steps.
Disappointing contested-catch rate for a player his size.
Lacks foot quickness to elude initial tackler after catch.

from Grading NFL Draft 2025 first-round picks: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6301900/2025/04/24/nfl-draft-grades-2025-round-1-every-pick/?campaign=5888993&source=dailyemail&userId=603890

11. San Francisco 49ers: Mykel Williams, edge, Georgia
The 49ers needed a bookend to play with Nick Bosa, and Williams fits the description. After the 49ers lost a ton in free agency and were faced with salary-cap situations, this pick was more than solid — Williams can become a decade-long starter, if he stays healthy.

At Georgia last year, however, he dealt with repeated ankle issues, which kept his starts and rotational snaps down. But as a team captain, he was still productive (five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss). Williams possesses huge arms (34 3/8 inches) and a giant wingspan (82 7/8 inches). He is a physical edge capable of moving anywhere along the line of scrimmage on passing downs.

Grade: A

16. Arizona Cardinals: Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss
The former top-ranked recruit in the country, Nolen is a twitched-up powerhouse with very strong hands and every trait a mauler needs. However, very little about his game, at either Texas A&M or Ole Miss, was consistent. He played hard but too often lost his assignment against the run, and he also didn’t have much of a plan in passing situations, other than to bull rush.

For as talented as he was (and his production improved a ton at Ole Miss), Nolen often left you wanting more. Selecting him ahead of Derrick Harmon is certainly interesting, but Arizona clearly believes it can smooth out Nolen’s rough spots and help him grow into a star. Still, this feels like a bit of a reach given the other talent on the board, including at defensive tackle.

Grade: B-minus

8. Seattle Seahawks: Grey Zabel, G/C, North Dakota State
One of the smartest players in this class, Zabel played every position along the offensive line in college — and did so at a high level. He turned down big-time NIL money to stay at North Dakota State, then ultimately dominated at the Senior Bowl as arguably the best offensive lineman there.

For a team like Seattle, which has been trying to fix the interior of its offensive line for a half-decade now, this feels like an elite pick. Zabel (who helped run his family farm in college and will continue to do so during NFL offseasons) is one of the draft’s hardest workers. He’s a high-floor player who fills multiple needs for the Seahawks — an awesome pick here and a great fit.

Grade: A-plus

26. Atlanta Falcons (from LAR): James Pearce Jr., edge, Tennessee
The Falcons gave up a lot to move up into the bottom of the first round — a 2026 first-round pick plus Nos. 46 and 242 this year for Nos. 25 and 101. And they selected one of the more polarizing players in this draft class. On talent alone, Pearce is absolutely a first-rounder, but teams may have dropped him down their boards after reports of coachability and consistency issues during his time at Tennessee. He’s a dynamic pass rusher, but he also might give up a bit against the run.

It’s not a problem that the Falcons like Pearce and his potential, but this was sort of a strange move, especially after the Falcons took Walker at 15. If the Falcons feel comfortable with Pearce’s character, this pick was more than fine. But they gave up a ton to make it — and the Rams have to feel pretty good about their end of the swap.

Grade: C-plus

Basicvenom12@Basicvenom12
Mr demoff why is there no draft event this weekend. Like the years in the past.

Kevin Demoff@kdemoff
When your GM is @LesSneadHair and you are picking 26th, not wise to host a draft event expecting to draft a player!

Brian Baldinger@BaldyNFL
7/17 picks are defensive lineman. The DL has never dominated a draft like this before

Me: there were 3 more after 17, so it was 10 of 32.

Cameron DaSilva@camdasilva
Les Snead just confirmed the Rams tried to trade up but teams were “asking too much”

canadaram wrote:

Hmm. I guess the Rams liked Dart, or at least it seems that way since they were quick to trade out after the Giants moved up in front of them. I love that the Rams have two first rounders next year.

Another possibility is that the Rams wanted a 2026 1st rounder and NYG was not willing to do that